Garfield Park friends, neighbors and day camp kids joined funding partners and members of the Fever and Pacers organizations to celebrate the official opening of the park’s recently renovated outdoor basketball court on Wednesday, July 16th.

On May 14, a ceremonial ground breaking celebrated the start of construction on the outdoor basketball court. Funding for construction of the court was provided by a partnership between Indianapolis Power & Light Company, Pacers Sports & Entertainment and the City of Indianapolis through the Indianapolis Parks Foundation.

Just two months later, the newly refurbished court was formally opened. Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Fever and Pacers staff members assisted kids from park programs and the local neighborhood in a general park clean up, painting benches and picking up trash throughout the park.

After the park clean up, there was a press conference on the court leading up to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Fever point guard Briann January, a newly-elected All-Star, reflected on the impact outdoor courts at local parks can have on a young person.

"My dreams of becoming a WNBA player began on courts just like this," January said. "To allow young kids to have a place to come out and have fun and create dreams of their own, it ‘s just awesome.”

Added Fever President and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf: "What makes a community so great is really teamwork…We’re proud to partner with IPL and with the Indy Parks Foundation to really invest in the youth of our city."

After the ribbon-cutting, the kids who had participated in the park clean up got to take part in a Get Fever Fit Clinic. Five Fever players — January, Karima Christmas, Marissa Coleman, Natasha Howard, and Natalie Achonwa — helped teach the kids the finer points of dribbling, shooting, and rebounding. At another station, members of the Indiana Pacemates and Fever Inferno Hip-Hop Squad taught kids a dance routine. Team mascots Freddy Fever and Boomer also were on hand, keeping the kids entertained and encouraging them to stay active.

All in all, it was a great day for the Garfield Park community, the Fever and Pacers organizations, and the city of Indianapolis.